Thor had woken in the morning to find that his brother was terrified of him. The rest of the day hadn't been much better.

Nothing especially bad had happened, it was only that he was troubled. Thor did not like problems that he could see no answer to. Loki was the one who enjoyed those, and right now, Loki was not a person Thor could talk to at all. Thor shook his head, trying to move the dark mood from him, but the question simply refused to answer itself. As far as he could see it, the problem was that Loki was afraid of him. The solution would then be to show him it wasn't necessary. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Loki had listened to him that morning, or at least Thor had thought he had – it was always hard to tell with Loki, hard to tell what was really happening inside his head. A voice that sounded very like his mother's suggested that he go and apologize to Loki, explain that he had had no idea what it was he had been dragging Loki back for, and then after that, that he had had no choice but to follow their father's orders, and he hadn't meant to frighten him that morning. But it was hard to apologize to Loki. Thor would start, but Loki would get that blank look on his face and Thor would forget what it was he had been trying to say and end up feeling like an idiot and nothing much would change for all his pains.

Thor sighed. Why could nothing that touched on his brother just be simple and make sense?

He remembered when he was small, how afraid he had been of water and how, when it had come time to learn to swim, he would have none of it. Nothing the teachers did could coax him in. Finally, Odin had come out, picked him up, and tossed him. One of the teachers had been near enough that it hadn't been a problem, and the experience had frightened him, but it had proved to him, small though he'd been, that there was nothing to be frightened of. The water could be one's friend, under the right circumstances. Merely touching it was not going to kill you. When it came time for the next lesson, Thor had made no fuss at all. And never since had the water troubled him a whit.

Thoughtfully taking a sip from the cup in his hand, Thor rose from the crowded bench and made his way from the pleasant hum of the dining hall to the dead silence of the outer rooms. Shadows were beginning to creep up the walls and hang thick in the air though the torches had not been lighted just yet.

He came to Loki's door and – checking himself – knocked. There was a slight murmur within, and, expecting that that meant he was welcome, Thor opened the door. Loki was sitting toward the back of the room, curled up in a chair, with a book on his lap. He glanced up as Thor came in, then laid aside his book. He seemed tired.

"What?"

It was the first time he'd heard Loki's voice in some while. It was rough, like he hadn't spoken in a long time, which Thor supposed he hadn't.

He realized he still had his cup and set it down. He came across the room.

Loki's dark eyebrows came together, "Brother?"

"This is for your own good."

"Thor!"

But Thor wasn't listening. He'd taken firm hold of Loki's shoulders and, pulling him from the chair, had wrapped his arms tightly round him. Loki writhed and struggled, but Thor wasn't about to let go. A sudden jerk threw Thor momentarily and he lurched a little, knocking something heavy over behind him. Thor pulled tighter and forced Loki still.

Then Thor decided it was enough and released him.

This decision was met with a sharp – and surprising – blow to the jaw that made Thor momentarily dizzy.

Loki didn't shout at him, and didn't hit him again, but tripped backward over his own feet and collapsed against the wall.

Thor made a move toward him, but checked himself. Loki was ignoring him entirely, which, given the circumstances, Thor found distinctly alarming.

"Loki?"

He was breathing hard and he retched, but nothing came up and he leaned back against the wall. His hand was shaking as he pressed it up against his mouth. He was facing Thor now, but still not looking at him. He looked beaten and almost despairing.

It occurred to Thor that he'd gone too far. In all likelihood, much too far.

He didn't know what to do.

"Loki!"

He made a move toward him but Loki shook his head, holding out a hand to wave him away. Somewhat relieved that at least Loki could hear him, Thor held back. Loki still wasn't quite looking at him. He sunk down beside the wall with his head on his knees. Thor thought that Loki would want him to leave. He didn't know what to do. But leaving right now, as much as Loki might like it, felt wrong to him. He went over and sat down, about arm's reach from him.

Neither one moved nor spoke for some while, until finally Loki raised his head. His face was dry and the look on it that had so alarmed Thor was gone. His eyes were shut and voice perfectly level as he asked, "What in heaven's name possessed you to do that?"

The tone was so familiar, and Thor had missed it so much these past weeks that he almost laughed. "Loki," something jumped up and caught hold of his throat, "I can't –" he swallowed thickly, blinking back the sudden stinging tears, "You can't be afraid of me. What happened – in Gladsheim –"

"Thor," Loki had opened his eyes, but he was looking straight before him.

"I didn't know what was happening. Father was wrong, he shouldn't –"

"Thor,"

"I don't know what happened – I –"

"I don't want to talk about it,Thor."

"– I'm sorry."

The words hovered in the air for a long moment before Loki sighed, "I know." He closed his eyes again, then, with a sudden intake of breath his hand went up to his mouth.

"Brother!"

Loki pushed him away. He took his hand down and leaned back against the wall. He let out a shuddering breath.

"Does it still hurt?"

A tear skidded down his face, for all his closed eyes. He nodded.

It was several moments before he sat up again, opening his eyes and smearing the back of his hand across his cheek. He stared straight before him, and Thor didn't move. All was silent, when, just as Thor was beginning to get restless, the cup he had set on the desk, tipped all of its own, and began to ooze shimmering little snakes over the ledge and onto the floor.

With a startled ejaculation, Thor jumped up.

Then he noticed that Loki was laughing.

For a moment, he thought he might be angry, but instead, felt himself smile. It had been weeks since Loki had played like that with him. "Can I touch them?"

Loki shrugged and Thor reached out a hand. The little creature shimmered into nothing as it came in contact with him.

Loki laid a hand on the floor, and coming toward him, a little snake slithered onto it, coiling and recoiling around his fingers.

"How come you can touch them but they go to dust when I try?"

"I'm the caster," Loki murmured, "The rules are different for me." He shook his hand and the snake disappeared. "I thought you didn't like snakes."

"I don't."

"And yet you're disappointed that I can't let you touch one?"

"They're your snakes. You just proved they can't hurt me."

"Hm," Loki looked away. "There are ways to create real snakes," he said, "that don't disappear when you touch them. You can't just," he waved his hand and the last of the little serpents vanished, "wave them away. Usually you'd need a cursed sword."

"But you don't know how to do that?"

Loki's eyes glittered as he looked side-long at him, "Not just yet."

Thor wasn't sure he liked the idea of Loki magicking real snakes into being. His jaw ached and he touched it, trying to feel for the injury.

"You deserved that." Loki's scarred mouth was half-twisted up in a smirk. Thor moved his hand away from his face. His stomach lurched a little every time he looked at those scars. He shifted his gaze and met Loki's poison-green eyes. He wasn't laughing now. He'd seen the look. He looked back.

Uneasy, Thor put a hand on his shoulder.

He felt Loki tense, but there was not a flicker in the eyes he had trained on Thor's.

"I'm glad to have you back, Brother," Thor said, "I've missed having you by my side."

Loki dropped his eyes, then turned away and pushed himself to his feet.

"I'm going out," he announced. "Are you coming?"

"Where are you going?" Thor grinned, it was good to have Loki back, "Not out for more…shavings, are you?"

Loki gave a short laugh, "No." He turned so Thor could see his face again, "Are you coming?"

Thor gestured to the cup on the ground, "I have to return her to her fellows,"

"I'll walk with you as far as the hall, then."

A few of the torches had been lighted, but the darkness clung black and sticky to the far walls.

The glow of firelight and the sounds of merry laughter emanated from the doorway to the dining hall.

"You won't join me?" Thor asked again.

Loki was firm, "Not tonight."

"You have to eat sometime,"

He laughed, "I'll manage somehow."

"Don't get yourself into trouble, then, Loki. I can't always rescue you."

If Loki answered, Thor did not hear it. He vanished into the dark.

Shaking his head, Thor went to join his friends.